After our last (surprise) event, we only had one last main event: the final concert. As always, this would feature a different line-up and order from Saturday night, and completely new music, plus a couple of new duo surprises.

Nearly all have been preserved in Chuck Thompson’s videos, which (unlike Saturday’s) are in consecutive order on his Sunday page here. (I personally apologize for my clams!)

First-time Gathering attendee Sean Martin opened the show with his tune “Early This Morning,” a take-off on Stephen Bennett’s “Late Last Night”

Next, Frank Doucette performed his new SB tribute piece, “G Wiz”

Pete Bradshaw played “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” from last year’s compilation CD

I played my own SB tribute piece from the new CD

Nate Blaustein played an original from his CD, “You Make Me Smile”

Tom Shinness performed Hendrix’ “Little Wing”

A brand new original from Keith Medley

Stacy Hobbs and a rousing “Crocodile Rock”

Don Alder played his tune “Blue Shift Principle”

Mike Doolin also did a tune from last year’s Christmas Present: “Happy Hanukkah, My Friend”

Tim Donahue performed his arrangement of “My Favorite Things”

The next tune was a complete surprise, as Tim brought out Muriel Anderson, who did her “View From Space” tune with Tim improvising along.

After Intermission, Drew Baldwin sang “Caledonia”

Two new songs from Hiro included “Sister and Brother” and “Hope Song”

Brad Hoyt surprised us with a new tribute (on his brand new AVC) to John Doan, called “The Ghost of Salem”

Claude Laflamme next did a 20-string arrangement of “Eleanor Rigby”

Oleg Timofeyev presented new selections to compare two Russian styles: St Petersburg (which favors the right hand) and Moscow (left hand) – “God Save the Csar” and variations on a Russian folk song

Anthony and Dave Powell performed an old Ralph Stanley song, “Room at the Top of the Stairs”

And finally, Andy Wahlberg joined Stephen Bennett in playing the song “Harp Guitar Guy” that SB wrote for Andy – while host Joe Morgan cracks wise…